Sheikh-ul-Islam Allahshukur Pashazade, Chairman of the Caucasus Muslims Board (CMB), who is participating in the Interfaith Forum held on the eve of the G20 Summit, is on a visit to Cape Town, Republic of South Africa.

Invited by the President of the G20 Interfaith Forum, Cole Durham, the Chairman of the CMB participated in and spoke at the opening plenary session of the Cape Town Forum. Within the framework of the forum, Sheikh-ul-Islam A. Pashazade held a series of meetings.

Meeting with Sheikh-ul-Islam A. Pashazade, Dr. Ibrahim Salih Al-Naimi, Chairman of the Board of the Doha International Center for Interfaith Dialogue, emphasized that Azerbaijan's interfaith and inter-sectarian model is very successful and a valuable example for the whole world, and touched on the importance of Azerbaijan's Karabakh Victory for the Muslim world. A. Pashazade expressed his satisfaction with the development of Azerbaijan-Qatar relations in all fields, including the religious and spiritual fields. He stated that the religious center – the Caucasus Muslims Board and the Baku International Multiculturalism Center intend to develop fruitful cooperation with the Doha International Center for Interfaith Dialogue.

The Chairman of the CMB, Sheikh-ul-Islam A. Pashazade, met with Adama Dieng, former UN Under-Secretary-General and High Commissioner for the Prevention of Genocide, and currently an adviser to the Secretary-General of the Muslim Elders Council (MEC), and Muhammad Bahr, an adviser to the MEC Secretary-General. Noting that Azerbaijan's multicultural model is a valuable experience, the interlocutors specifically emphasized that the foundation of the Final Document on Intra-Islamic Dialogue held in Bahrain was precisely Azerbaijan's successful model of inter-sectarian understanding. They added that Azerbaijan deserves to be proud of this model. During the conversation, Mr. A. Dieng, who praised the prayer of Sunnis and Shias in the same mosque and the simultaneous call to prayer (Adhan) in Azerbaijan as a great achievement and value, and who expressed his joy at Azerbaijan's successes, said that he had the honor of visiting Azerbaijan after the Karabakh Victory and personally observing these realities. Sheikh-ul-Islam A. Pashazade requested Mr. A. Dieng to convey his deep thanks for the congratulations from the head of the MEC, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Ahmed el-Tayyeb, on the occasion of the Azerbaijan-Armenia agreement in Washington. The Chairman of the CMB, A. Pashazade, specifically emphasized that the valuable activities of the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Ahmed el-Tayyeb, are of great importance for interfaith cooperation in the world, understanding within the Islamic Ummah, and intra-Islamic dialogue.

Sheikh-ul-Islam A. Pashazade met with the Uzbekistan delegation participating in the Forum. In a sincere meeting with Ruslanbek Davletov, Advisor to the President of Uzbekistan on socio-political development, and Muzaffar Kamilov, Rector of the Uzbekistan International Islamic Academy, the importance of deepening religious and spiritual ties between the brotherly and allied nations of Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan was emphasized and future prospects were discussed. The interlocutors, who spoke about the expansion of relations in all areas of life, the historical ties between our brotherly peoples, our common values, the sincere relations of our wise state leaders with a true brotherly nature, and the elevation of relations between our states to the peak of alliance, valued this as a great asset. The Uzbek officials noted that the personality of Sheikh-ul-Islam A. Pashazade is met with great respect among the people and at the level of the head of state in their country. Sheikh-ul-Islam A. Pashazade wished success to the new advisor R. Davletov in his future activities and to Muzaffar Kamilov in his new position. At the end of the meeting, Sheikh-ul-Islam A. Pashazade prayed for the peoples and states of Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan.

In the meeting with Mr. Muhammad Elsannusi, a commissioner of the US Department of State Commission on Religious Freedom, the success achieved in the direction of achieving peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia with the mediation of the US was discussed, and the role of US President Mr. Donald Trump was emphasized. Mr. Elsannusi emphasized Azerbaijan's active role in the world in the plane of interfaith dialogue and cooperation, and noted that he participated in the Second Summit of Religious Leaders and the Global Forum of the UN Alliance of Civilizations held in Baku. The prospects of a visit of religious confessions in Azerbaijan to the USA and communication with the Commission on Religious Freedoms were discussed. In this context, Sheikh-ul-Islam A. Pashazade emphasized the importance of basing reports on religious freedoms on the realities in Azerbaijan.

Fazil Mustafa, Chairman of the Public Associations and Religious Organizations Committee of the Azerbaijani National Assembly, Javanshir Pashazade, a member of the National Assembly, and Ravan Hasanov, the executive director of the Baku International Multiculturalism Center, who represented our country at the G20 Interfaith Forum, participated in the meetings.

The G20 Interfaith Forum continues its work.

CMB Press Service

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